Your barn is more than a place to ride—it’s the heartbeat of your equestrian experience.
Whether you’re a trainer or student, the culture of your barn shapes the day-to-day experience you have in this sport. But on a longer timeline, it shapes how future generations of riders and horse people will carry out traditions and habits in training and horse care. And that’s…pretty profound.
So, is your barn culture intentional, or is it a byproduct of unspoken habits and norms?
Listen to this episode of Horse Person. Be sure to hit ‘Follow’ so you get all episodes downloaded to your phone automatically.
In this episode of the Horse Person podcast, we dive into the art and systems of building barn culture with John Haime, a renowned performance coach and author of You Are a Contender and Ride Big.
John’s expertise spans from performance and culture work on Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft and Cisco to fostering winning mindsets in NBA, NFL, and NHL athletes. He’s now bringing that knowledge to the equestrian world, working with some of the top hunter/jumper riders and barns in the U.S.
Together, Caroline and John discuss:
- Why values must come before culture and how they shape the actions of a barn’s community
- How to observe your barn’s culture, from the energy of the space to the habits of its people
- Why inclusivity, joy, and professionalism don’t just coexist with competitiveness—they amplify it
- How culture informs the horsemanship practices we’ll pass on to future generations
- The difference between strong and weak barn cultures and how to spot the signs of each
- How to create a culture aligned with your values, no matter your role in the barn
This episode is proudly supported by We Ride Together, a nonprofit organization created to cast light upon the endemic issue of sexual abuse in youth and amateur sports.
John also offers a self-awareness quiz at the end of the episode, helping you reflect on your own values and how they intersect with the culture of your barn.
This conversation will empower you to:
- Identify what truly matters to you in a barn environment
- Take intentional steps to build a culture that aligns with those values
- Recognize how culture impacts the wellbeing of horses and riders alike
Whether you’re a head trainer, a boarder, or simply someone striving to create a positive space for people and horses, this episode will leave you inspired to think critically about the barn environment you —and the horses—deserve.
Horse Person is a podcast hosted by 4x-award winning podcaster and equestrian media professional, Caroline Culbertson. Hit Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or Follow on Spotify, to get biweekly episodes downloaded onto your phone before you wake up and drive to the barn.
This episode is also supported by Nikovian—equestrian riding apparel for home or for shows that feels and performs like luxury, but without the luxury price tag. Use code horseperson15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase.